WESTPORT–A Queens, N.Y., man accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of over-the-counter medications from a Westport store in 2023, was arrested Monday after he was incarcerated in Rockland County, N.Y. on unrelated charges, town police reported.
Demetrius Mariakakis, 44, of the Woodside section of Queens, is accused of shoplifting three times from the Walgreens at 880 Post Road East, Westport. Staff reported the first theft on Aug. 24, 2023. Employees told police that a man and woman had entered the store minutes apart, stole $2,658.80 worth of assorted allergy medication and were seen driving off together in one vehicle.
Months later, on Dec. 9, 2023, the staff reported a second shoplift. This time, a female suspect was detained. While talking with her, police identified Mariakakis as the male alleged shoplifter in the August and December incidents, police said.
The store management chose not to press charges against the woman because of her cooperation and immediate return of the stolen items, said Lieutenant Anthony Prezioso, spokesman for the Westport Police Department.
Mariakakis is accused of stealing $1,964.20 worth of allergy medications in the December theft.
While Mariakakis’s motive for the alleged thefts is not known, Prezioso said over-the-counter medications are among several products frequently stolen for their high resale value on the black market. Others include baby formula, hair regrowth products, energy drinks and razorblades.
“Usually, thieves know of a network of stores that will buy back these products at a fraction of the retail cost with the intent to then mark them back up for resale in their storefronts,” Prezioso wrote in an email. He added that some medications are harvested for ingredients used in manufacturing narcotics.
“Both reasons have led to many stores locking up their inventory as well as the changes several years ago that require the purchaser to show identification when purchasing certain types of over-the-counter medicines,” he said.
The theft and resale of medications can cause more harm than a store’s loss of revenue, a 2023 study posted on the National Library of Medicine found.
“This type of crime can have severe impacts on public health, legitimate companies, and national healthcare systems,” the report said, citing various previous studies. Since stolen medications do not face quality standards in their storage and transportation, such as maintaining proper temperatures and guarding against contamination, “the individuals who use them may not effectively treat their medical needs or even cause further damage to themselves,” the report said. “Consequently, the theft of medicines can impact mortality rates, increase the prevalence of diseases, and decrease public trust in the healthcare system.”
On Monday, Westport police learned that Mariakakis was being held at the Rockland County Correctional Facility in New York. He was extradited to Connecticut, where Westport police charged him with third-degree larceny, a felony, and fourth-degree larceny, a misdemeanor.
He is being held on $40,000 in bail and is due back in Superior Court in Stamford on May 6, 2026.